Search

Dairy food wastewater disposal represents a major environmental problem. This review discusses micro-organisms associated with anaerobic digestion of dairy food wastewater, biochemistry of the process, factors affecting anaerobic digestion, and efforts to develop defined cultures. Anaerobic digestion of dairy food waste-water offers many advantages over other treatments in that a high level of waste stabilization is achieved with much lower levels of sludge. In addition, the process produces readily usable methane with low nutrient requirements and no oxygen. Anaerobic digestion is a series of complex reactions that broadly involve 2 groups of anaerobic or facultative anaerobic microorganisms: acidogens and methanogens. The first group of microorganisms breaks down organic compounds into CO2 and volatile fatty acids. Some of these organisms are acetogenic, which convert long-chain fatty acids to acetate, CO2, and hydrogen. Methanogens convert the acidogens' products to methane. The imbalance among the different microbial groups can lead not only to less methane production, but also to process failure. This is due to accumulation of intermediate compounds, such as volatile fatty acids, that inhibit methanogens. The criteria used for evaluation of the anaerobic digestion include levels of hydrogen and volatile fatty acids, methane:carbon ratio, and the gas production rate. A steady state is achieved in an anaerobic digester when the pH, chemical oxygen demand of the effluent, the suspended solids of the effluent, and the daily gas production remain constant. Factors affecting efficiency and stability of the process are types of microorganisms, feed C:N ratio, hydraulic retention time, reactor design, temperature, pH control, hydrogen pressure, and additives such as manure and surfactants. As anaerobic digesters become increasingly used in dairy plants, more research should be directed toward selecting the best cultures that maximize methane production from dairy food waste. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Whey proteins in general and specifically β-lactoglobulin, α-lactalbumin, and immunoglobulins have been thought to decrease proteolysis in cheeses manufactured from concentrated retentates from ultrafiltration. The proteins found in whey are called whey proteins and are called milk serum proteins (SP) when they are in milk. The experiment included 3 treatments; low milk SP (0.18%), control (0.52%), and high milk SP (0.63%), and was replicated 3 times. The standardized milk for cheese making of the low milk SP treatment contained more casein as a percentage of true protein and more calcium as a percentage of crude protein, whereas the nonprotein nitrogen and total calcium content was not different from the control and high SP treatments. The nonprotein nitrogen and total calcium content of the milks did not differ because of the process used to remove the milk SP from skim milk. The low milk SP milk contained less free fatty acids (FFA) than the control and high milk SP treatment; however, no differences in FFA content of the cheeses was detected. Approximately 40 to 45% of the FFA found in the milk before cheese making was lost into the whey during cheese making. Decreasing the milk SP content of milk by 65% and increasing the content by 21% did not significantly influence general Cheddar cheese composition. Higher fat recovery and cheese yield were detected in the low milk SP treatment cheeses. There was more proteolysis in the low milk SP cheese and this may be due to the lower concentration of undenatured β-lactoglobulin, α-lactalbumin, and other high molecular weight SP retained in the cheeses made from milk with low milk SP content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microfiltration (MF) is a membrane process that can separate casein micelles from milk serum proteins (SP), mainly β-lactoglobulin and α-lactalbumin. Our objective was to develop a multistage MF process to remove a high percentage of SP from skim milk while producing a low concentration factor retentate from microfiltration (RMF) with concentrations of soluble minerals, nonprotein nitrogen (NPN), and lactose similar to the original skim milk. The RMF could be blended with cream to standardize milk for traditional Cheddar cheese making. Permeate from ultrafiltration (PUF) obtained from the ultrafiltration (UF) of permeate from MF (PMF) of skim milk was successfully used as a diafiltrant to remove SP from skim milk before cheese making, while maintaining the concentration of lactose, NPN, and nonmicellar calcium. About 95% of the SP originally in skim milk was removed by combining one 3x MF stage and two 3x PUF diafiltration stages. The final 3x RMF can be diluted with PUF to the desired concentration of casein for traditional cheese making. The PMF from the skim milk was concentrated in a UF system to yield an SP concentrate with protein content similar to a whey protein concentrate, but without residuals from cheese making (i.e., rennet, culture, color, and lactic acid) that can produce undesirable functional and sensory characteristics in whey products. Additional processing steps to this 3-stage MF process for SP removal are discussed to produce an MF skim retentate for a continuous cottage cheese manufacturing process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To determine the influence of milk preacidification with CO2 on Cheddar cheese aging and proteolysis, cheese was manufactured from milk with and without added CO2. The experiment was replicated 3 times. Carbon dioxide (approximately 1600 ppm) was added to the cold milk, resulting in a milk pH of 5.9 at 31°C in the cheese vat. The starter and coagulant usage rates were equal for the control and CO2 treatment cheeses. The calcium content of the CO2 treatment cheese was lower, but no difference in moisture content was detected. The higher CO2 content of the treatment cheeses (337 vs. 124 ppm) was maintained throughout 6 mo of aging. In spite of having almost one and a half times the salt-in-moisture, proteolysis as measured by pH 4.6 and 12% trichloroacetic acid soluble nitrogen expressed as percentages of total nitrogen, was higher in the CO2 treatment cheeses throughout aging. The ratio of αs-casein (CN) to para-κ-CN decreased faster in the CO2 treatment cheeses than in the control cheeses, especially before refrigerated storage. No difference was detected in the ratio of β-CN to para-κ-CN between the control and CO2 treatment cheeses. Intact αs- and β-CN were found in the expressible serum (ES) from the CO2 treatment cheese as well as αs1-I-CN, but they were not detected in the ES from the control cheese. No CN was detected in the ES from the curd before the salting of either the control or CO2 treatment cheese. Higher proteolysis in the cheese made from milk preacidified with CO2 may have been due to increased substrate availability in the water phase or increased chymosin activity or retention in the cheese. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Preacidification of milk for cheese making may have a beneficial impact on increasing proteolysis during cheese aging. Unlike other acids, CO2 can easily be removed from whey. The objectives of this work were to determine the effect of milk preacidification on Cheddar cheese composition, the recovery of individual milk components, and yield. Carbon dioxide was injected inline after the cooling section of the pasteurizer. Cheeses with and without added CO2 were made simultaneously from the same batch of milk. This procedure was replicated 3 times. Carbon dioxide in the cheese milk was about 1600 ppm, which resulted in a milk pH of about 5.9 at 31°C. The starter culture and coagulant addition rates were the same for both the CO2 treatment and the control. The whey pH at draining of the CO2 treatment was lower than the control. Total make time was shorter for the CO2 treatment compared with the control. Cheese manufactured from milk acidified with CO2 retained less of the total calcium and fat than the control cheese. The higher fat loss was primarily in the whey at draining. Preacidification with CO2 did not alter the crude protein recovery in the cheese. The CO2 treatment resulted in a higher added salt recovery in the cheese and produced a cheese that contained too much salt. Considering the higher added salt retention, the salt application rate could be lowered to achieve a typical cheese salt content. Cheese yield efficiency of the CO2 treated milk was 4.4% lower than the control due to fat loss. Future work will focus on modifying the make procedure to achieve a normal fat loss into the whey when CO2 is added to milk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Normally, reduced-fat Cheddar cheese is made by removal of fat from milk prior to cheese making. Typical aged flavor may not develop when 50% reduced-fat Cheddar cheese is produced by this approach. Moreover, the texture of the reduced-fat cheeses produced by the current method may often be hard and rubbery. Previous researchers have demonstrated that aged Cheddar cheese flavor intensity resides in the watersoluble fraction. Therefore, we investigated the feasibility of fat removal after the aging of Cheddar cheese. We hypothesized the typical aged cheese flavor would remain with the cheese following fat removal. A physical process for the removal of fat from full-fat aged Cheddar cheese was developed. The efficiency of fat removal at various temperatures, gravitational forces, and for various durations of applied forces was determined. Temperature had the greatest effect on the removal of fat. Gravitational force and the duration of applied force were less important at higher temperatures. A positive linear relationship between temperature and fat removal was observed from 20 to 33°C. Conditions of 30°C and 23,500 x g for 5 min removed 50% of the fat. The removed fat had some aroma but little or no taste. The fatty acid composition, triglyceride molecular weight distribution, and melting profile of the fat retained in the reduced-fat cheeses were all consistent with a slight increase in the proportion of saturated fat relative to the full-fat cheeses. The process of fat removal decreased the grams of saturated fat per serving of cheese from 6.30 to 3.11 g. The flavor intensity of the reduced-fat cheeses were at least as intense as the full-fat cheeses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many consumers are concerned with fat intake. However, many reduced-fat foods, including reduced-fat cheese, lack robust flavors. The objectives of this study were to characterize the flavors found in full-fat cheese, cheese fat, and reduced-fat cheese made from aged Cheddar using a novel process to remove the fat (Nelson and Barbano, 2004). Two full-fat, aged cheeses (9 and 39 mo) were selected, and the fat was removed using the novel fat removal process. Fun-fat cheeses, shredded and reformed full-fat cheeses, corresponding reduced-fat cheeses, and cheese fats were then analyzed using descriptive sensory and instrumental analysis followed by consumer acceptance testing. Cheeses were extracted with diethyl ether followed by isolation of volatile material by high vacuum distillation. Volatile extracts were analyzed using gas chromatography/olfactometry with aroma extract dilution analysis. Selected compounds were quantified. The 39-mo cheese was characterized by fruity and sulfur notes, and the 9-mo-old cheese was characterized by a spicy/brothy flavor. Reduced-fat cheeses had similar flavor profiles with no difference in most sensory attributes to corresponding full-fat cheeses. Sensory profiles of the cheese fats were characterized by low intensities of the prominent flavors found in the full-fat cheeses. Instrumental analysis revealed similar trends. Consistent with sensory analysis, there were lower concentrations and log3 flavor dilution factors for most compounds in the cheese fats compared with both the reduced- and full-fat cheeses, regardless of compound polarity. Consumers found the intensity of flavor in the reduced-fat cheese to be equal to the full-fat cheeses. This study demonstrated that when fat was removed from aged full-fat Cheddar cheese, most of the flavor and flavor compounds remained in the cheese and were not removed with the fat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spore formers are common spoilage-causing microorganisms in dairy products; however, their modes of spoilage (proteolysis, lipolysis, etc.) have not been described in detail for cultured dairy products such as sour cream and yogurt. The objective of the present study was to test the ability of spore-forming strains isolated from dairy environments for their spoilage-causing activities at typical sour cream (24°C) and yogurt (42°C) fermentation temperatures. A total of 25 spore-forming strains were isolated from different sources, including raw milk, pasteurizer balance tank, biofilms formed on heat exchangers, and milk powder. These strains were tested for proteolytic and lipolytic activities and for their ability to degrade phospholipids, common stabilizers (starch, gelatin, xanthan gum, pectin), and exopolysaccharides (EPS) at sour cream and yogurt fermentation temperatures. A higher percentage of positive strains was observed for selected activities at yogurt fermentation temperature compared with sour cream fermentation temperature. Identified proteolytic spore-forming strains, based on a skim milk agar method, were subsequently quantified for their level of proteolysis using non-casein nitrogen (NCN) content and sodium dodecyl sulfate-PAGE (SDS-PAGE). The proteolytic strains that showed the highest levels of proteolysis (highest percentages of NCN content) at 24°C were Bacillus mojavensis BC, Bacillus cereus DBC, Bacillus subtilis DBC, B. mojavensis DBC1, and Paenibacillus polymyxa DBC1. At 42°C the strains with the highest levels of proteolysis (highest percentages of NCN content) were B. subtilis DBC, B. mojavensis BC, B. mojavensis DBC1, B. cereus DBC, and Bacillus licheniformis DBC6. Results of SDS-PAGE demonstrated that proteolytic strains had primarily hydrolyzed β- and κ-CN. A viscometric method was used to evaluate the susceptibility of exopolysaccharides (EPS) to degradation by selected spore formers. This method helped to determine that EPS produced by commercial yogurt and sour cream cultures is susceptible to degradation by spore formers present in dairy environments., (Copyright © 2019 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Our objective was to develop an alternative process to produce low-fat Cheddar cheese (LFCC) by combining reduced-fat Cheddar cheese (RFCC) made by a fat-removal process with micellar casein concentrate (MCC) to try to achieve the texture and flavor characteristics of full-fat Cheddar cheese (FFCC). The production of LFCC was replicated 3 times. The MCC was produced by ultrafiltration of skim milk, followed by 3 stages of microfiltration, and the final MCC was spray dried. The LFCC was formulated to achieve 6% fat, 28% protein, and 1.2% salt by a combination of RFCC, MCC powder, salt, and water. The 6% fat target was selected to comply with the FDA standard for a low-fat label claim. The pH of the LFCC mixture was adjusted to 5.3 by lactic acid. Rennet was added to the LFCC mixture, followed by pressing and packaging. Chemical and sensory data were analyzed by ANOVA using the Proc GLM of SAS to determine if any differences in chemical composition and sensory properties were present among different cheeses. Descriptive sensory scores were used to construct a principal component analysis biplot to visualize flavor profile differences among cheeses. The LFCC had 83% less fat, 32% less sodium, and higher protein and moisture content than FFCC. When the cheese texture was evaluated in the context of a filled-gel model consisting of matrix and filler (100% minus percentage of matrix) the LFCC had lower filler volume than FFCC, yet the LFCC had a softer texture than FFCC. The LFCC contained some of the original FFCC cheese matrix that had been disrupted by the fat-removal process, and this original FFCC matrix was embedded in the new LFCC matrix formed by the action of rennet on casein from the continuous phase of hydrated MCC. Thus, the texture of the LFCC was desirable and was softer than the FFCC it was made from, whereas commercial RFCC (50 and 75% fat reduction) were firmer than the FFCC. The sulfur flavor in LFCC was closer to FFCC than commercial RFCC. The LFCC had bitter and grape-tortilla off-flavors that came from the dried MCC ingredient. The commercial RFCC and LFCC made in this study were missing the typical aged Cheddar character (catty, nutty, fruity, brothy, milk fat flavors) found in aged FFCC. Future work to improve the flavor of LFCC made by the process described in this study should include the addition of a flavoring ingredient (e.g., enzyme-modified cheese) to enhance the aged Cheddar flavors and mask undesirable flavors., (Copyright © 2013 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Many consumers are concerned with fat intake. However, many reduced-fat foods, including reduced-fat cheese, lack robust flavors. The objectives of this study were to characterize the flavors found in full-fat cheese, cheese fat, and reduced-fat cheese made from aged Cheddar using a novel process to remove the fat (Nelson and Barbano, 2004). Two full-fat, aged cheeses (9 and 39 mo) were selected, and the fat was removed using the novel fat removal process. Full-fat cheeses, shredded and reformed full-fat cheeses, corresponding reduced-fat cheeses, and cheese fats were then analyzed using descriptive sensory and instrumental analysis followed by consumer acceptance testing. Cheeses were extracted with diethyl ether followed by isolation of volatile material by high vacuum distillation. Volatile extracts were analyzed using gas chromatography/ olfactometry with aroma extract dilution analysis. Selected compounds were quantified. The 39-mo cheese was characterized by fruity and sulfur notes, and the 9-mo-old cheese was characterized by a spicy/brothy flavor. Reduced-fat cheeses had similar flavor profiles with no difference in most sensory attributes to corresponding full-fat cheeses. Sensory profiles of the cheese fats were characterized by low intensities of the prominent flavors found in the full-fat cheeses. Instrumental analysis revealed similar trends. Consistent with sensory analysis, there were lower concentrations and log(3) flavor dilution factors for most compounds in the cheese fats compared with both the reduced- and full-fat cheeses, regardless of compound polarity. Consumers found the intensity of flavor in the reduced-fat cheese to be equal to the full-fat cheeses. This study demonstrated that when fat was removed from aged full-fat Cheddar cheese, most of the flavor and flavor compounds remained in the cheese and were not removed with the fat.

To determine the influence of milk preacidification with CO(2) on Cheddar cheese aging and proteolysis, cheese was manufactured from milk with and without added CO(2). The experiment was replicated 3 times. Carbon dioxide (approximately 1600 ppm) was added to the cold milk, resulting in a milk pH of 5.9 at 31 degrees C in the cheese vat. The starter and coagulant usage rates were equal for the control and CO(2) treatment cheeses. The calcium content of the CO(2) treatment cheese was lower, but no difference in moisture content was detected. The higher CO(2) content of the treatment cheeses (337 vs. 124 ppm) was maintained throughout 6 mo of aging. In spite of having almost one and a half times the salt-in-moisture, proteolysis as measured by pH 4.6 and 12% trichloroacetic acid soluble nitrogen expressed as percentages of total nitrogen, was higher in the CO(2) treatment cheeses throughout aging. The ratio of alpha(s)-casein (CN) to para-kappa-CN decreased faster in the CO(2) treatment cheeses than in the control cheeses, especially before refrigerated storage. No difference was detected in the ratio of beta-CN to para-kappa-CN between the control and CO(2) treatment cheeses. Intact alpha(s)- and beta-CN were found in the expressible serum (ES) from the CO(2) treatment cheese as well as alpha(s1)-I-CN, but they were not detected in the ES from the control cheese. No CN was detected in the ES from the curd before the salting of either the control or CO(2) treatment cheese. Higher proteolysis in the cheese made from milk preacidified with CO(2) may have been due to increased substrate availability in the water phase or increased chymosin activity or retention in the cheese.

Preacidification of milk for cheese making may have a beneficial impact on increasing proteolysis during cheese aging. Unlike other acids, CO(2) can easily be removed from whey. The objectives of this work were to determine the effect of milk preacidification on Cheddar cheese composition, the recovery of individual milk components, and yield. Carbon dioxide was injected inline after the cooling section of the pasteurizer. Cheeses with and without added CO(2) were made simultaneously from the same batch of milk. This procedure was replicated 3 times. Carbon dioxide in the cheese milk was about 1600 ppm, which resulted in a milk pH of about 5.9 at 31 degrees C. The starter culture and coagulant addition rates were the same for both the CO(2) treatment and the control. The whey pH at draining of the CO(2) treatment was lower than the control. Total make time was shorter for the CO(2) treatment compared with the control. Cheese manufactured from milk acidified with CO(2) retained less of the total calcium and fat than the control cheese. The higher fat loss was primarily in the whey at draining. Preacidification with CO(2) did not alter the crude protein recovery in the cheese. The CO(2) treatment resulted in a higher added salt recovery in the cheese and produced a cheese that contained too much salt. Considering the higher added salt retention, the salt application rate could be lowered to achieve a typical cheese salt content. Cheese yield efficiency of the CO(2) treated milk was 4.4% lower than the control due to fat loss. Future work will focus on modifying the make procedure to achieve a normal fat loss into the whey when CO(2) is added to milk.

The effects of six fermentation times, 24 through 84 h at 12 h intervals, were studied on in vivo/in vitro relationships and repeatability and variability of in vitro technique. Three stages of maturity each of bermudagrass, bahiagrass, rye-grass, sorghum-sudan, alfalfa, and orchardgrass were used. For one fermentation time for all types of forages, a 48-h fermentation demonstrated the smallest variation among runs and the least run X forage interaction. However, the optimum fermentation for perennials as a group was 60 h; and for annuals, legumes, and temperate grasses it was 36 h. Further studies in vitro compared a 48-h fermentation for all types of forage with 36 h for annuals and 60 h for perennials. Forty-eight forages, including 20 annuals and 28 perennials, were digested in vitro during three runs. With the 48-h fermentation, forages accounted for 86.43% of the total variation, runs 6.80%, and run X forage interaction 6.44%. Variation due to runs was reduced to .33%, and run X forage interaction to .90%, for a combined 36- and 60-h fermentation for annuals and perennials, respectively. Variation due to forage was increased to 98.53%.